TThis essay will discuss the metaphors associated with the characters in The Glass Menagerie and how each of these metaphors represents a fragment of the American dream. She's like a piece of his glass collection, too fragile to be brought into the real world without being devastated. Due to her sensitivity, she has avoided dealing with people for so long that when she finally tries to socialize with Jim, she does not see that she is being manipulated. Amanda is a faded Southern belle who attempts to relive her past by using her daughter to reflect her former self. She represents the nostalgia of the Old South in the play. Tom is a struggling poet who dreams of real adventures but must provide for his family. Jim, despite being a high school hero who failed to live up to expectations, remains a blind pursuer of the American dream. It represents the broken promise of the next generation. Amanda grew up in Blue Mountain, far from the complexity and eccentricity of the 20th century. In her youth, Amanda was a beautiful lady who attracted gentlemen; she was what we call a Southern Belle. In the stories, Southern belle is an archetype of a beautiful young woman from the upper class of the Old South. As she longs for her past, she is the epitome of nostalgia for the Old South in the play. She eventually married a young Irish gentleman with whom she had two children, Tom and Laura. Sadly, Amanda's husband said goodbye to the family shortly after, essentially leaving her with two children and no money. Although she has successfully raised her two children, she has never truly accepted her new status in society and continues to idealize her old life. Amanda'...... middle of paper ......n, O'Neill.com, npnd Web. February 21-22, 2014Works cited or consulted: Williams, Tennessee, The Glass Menagerie, New Direction Paperbook, 1999. PrintBloom, Harrold, Tennessee Williams's The Glass menagerie. Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print. Levy, Eric P. “Through Soundproof Glass: The Prison of Self-Awareness in the Glass Menagerie.” » Modern Drama 36.4 (December 1993): 529-537.1999. Internet. March 31, 2014 Stein, Roger B. "'The Glass Menagerie' Revisited: Disaster Without Violence." Western Humanities Review 18.2 (Spring 1964): 141-153. Internet. March 31, 2014. Reynolds, James. "The Failure of Technology in the Glass Menagerie.” Modern Drama 34.4 (December 1991): 522-527. Domina, LM “An Overview of the Glass Menagerie.” Detroit: Gale Center. of literary resources. April 3, 2014. “South Bell” Wikipedia, npnd Web April 14. 2014